The Kindness Challenge

Rosaria Butterfield is an author who wrote a powerful memoir about her journey to Christianity. She says as a non-Christian her impression of Christians was that they were poor thinkers, judgmental, scornful, and afraid of diversity.

In her memoir, she speaks of publishing a critique of a Christian group in her local newspaper. After this critique, she received an enormous volume of responses, so she placed 2 boxes on her desk, one for hate mail, and one for fan mail.

In the midst of all the different responses, she received a two-page letter from a local pastor, Ken Smith.

The letter was kind and inquiring. It had a warmth and civility to it, in addition to its probing questions. She couldn’t figure out which box to put the letter in, so it sat on her desk for seven days.

“It was the kindest letter of opposition that I had ever received.”

Its tone demonstrated that the writer wasn’t against her, but rather wanted to care for her, and wanted to understand her on a different level than those who threw slander at her.

Eventually, after pondering over the letter, she contacted the pastor and became friends with he and his wife. Their friendship was an important part of her journey to faith.

Butterfield’s testimony should make us wonder about what we are doing. Are we inclined to be generous and kind to those around us, or do we speak harshly to or about them?

Some of us must admit that our daily commute is a time for us to throw verbal daggers when we are cut off or being tailgated by the guy behind us. Or maybe you are one of us who likes to twist the verbal knife of sarcasm.

Frankly, kindness is no small thing, and clearly not something we do voluntarily. Kindness can yield amazing benefits to those who receive it and those who give it though.

“Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor.”

Proverbs‬ ‭21:21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The New Living translation uses the term “unfailing love” in place of kindness. That’s because when we choose to show kindness to others, we are showing them the love of Jesus, and His love was unfailing.

Consider the fact that none of us deserved the love that Jesus showed by dying for us. Somewhere down the line we have gained a sense of entitlement to judge, belittle, or scorn others simply because they live differently, because the sin differently than us.

Kindness is a choice. It is a conscious decision every day to choose happiness. It’s the decision to choose to love people in spite of our opinions or feelings. It’s the decision to choose gentleness and unfailing love like the love Jesus offered to us.

So for the month of July, let me Challenge you to a month of kindness. It’s a challenge to speak kindly, act kindly, and live kindly. It’s a challenge to change the lives of those around you, but it’ll change yours more!

30 Days of Kindness Ideas:

Write a thank you note to someone, just because.
Offer to help someone.
Write a post on social media about someone you’re thankful for or impressed by
Share a Post from a small business in your area.
Surprise a friend or family member with a small gift, for no reason at all.
Speak to someone in public. Even just smile and say hi.
Spread awareness about a good cause
Leave a funny or nice note somewhere (your check at lunch, inside a library book, on a bathroom mirror, etc)
Buy someone’s coffee or food behind you in the drive-thru.
Pray for someone and then tell them you did afterwards.
Play Freerice.com and feed the hungry
Give honest compliments to friends/family
Leave a thank you note for your mail carrier
Count the items in your fridge and donate that many quarters to a donation box (Food Bank at the grocery store, etc)
Share an inspirational bible scripture online
Spend 10 minutes praying about someone you normally wouldn’t pray for.
Be extra kind to retail/store employees.
Encourage someone just because
Donate Old clothes/toys
Let someone cut in front of you in line
Donate $1 to the first tip jar you see
Pray for 3 people that you aren’t fond of.
Write a private message to someone you haven’t spoken to in several months and ask how they’ve been.
Thank God for 10 people in your life
Tip more generously than usual
Pray all day for forgiveness towards someone you’ve held a grudge against.
Comment something nice/encouraging on multiple people’s posts.
Send a card of encouragement to someone you know needs it
Hold the door open for people
Spend a day saying several separate prayers for different blessings or people in your life.